Installation

Requirements

Requirement	Minimum	Recommended
Node.js	22.x	22.x LTS
RAM	512 MB	1 GB+
Disk	500 MB	2 GB+
OS	Linux, macOS, Windows	Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

Node.js 22 is required

3DPrintForge uses SQLite (innebygd) which is built into Node.js 22. Older versions are not supported.

Installation with install.sh (recommended)

The easiest way is to use the interactive installation script:

git clone https://github.com/skynett81/3dprintforge.git
cd 3dprintforge
./install.sh

The script guides you through setup in the browser. For terminal-based installation with systemd support:

./install.sh --cli

Manual installation

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/skynett81/3dprintforge.git
cd 3dprintforge

# 2. Install dependencies
npm install

# 3. Start the dashboard
npm start

Open your browser at https://localhost:3443 (or http://localhost:3000 which redirects).

Self-signed SSL certificate

On first startup the dashboard generates a self-signed SSL certificate. The browser will show a warning — this is normal. See HTTPS certificates to install your own certificate.

Docker

docker-compose up -d

See Docker setup for full configuration.

Systemd service

To run the dashboard as a background service:

./install.sh --cli
# Choose "Yes" when asked about the systemd service

Or manually:

sudo systemctl enable --now 3dprintforge
sudo systemctl status 3dprintforge

Updating

3DPrintForge has built-in auto-update via GitHub Releases. You can update from the dashboard under Settings → Update, or manually:

git pull
npm install
npm start

Uninstallation

./uninstall.sh

The script removes the service, configuration, and data (you choose what gets deleted).

Data directories

3DPrintForge automatically creates these directories in data/:

Directory	Contents	Backup
uploads/	Slicer uploads	Recommended
library/	File library (3MF/STL/gcode)	Recommended
model-cache/	Cached 3MF from printers	Optional (regenerated)
history-models/	3MF files linked to history	Recommended
toolpath-cache/	Cached gcode toolpath	Optional (regenerated)